Experience Points
by Embediya
Summary: (Follows The Talk) Circe's almost at her wit's end with staying at Providence. Things would be better if she could walk around regularly without a fear of being caught. Not to mention Rex's skills as a host are lacking. Hopefully Cesar will stop digging himself into a hole so he can solve this like he said he would... (more chapters to come)
1. The Count of Mortal Combat

It had been about a week since Circe first arrived at Providence. As per Cesar's direction, she stayed in Rex's room, laying low. Quite literally. She spent most of her time hidden away in what little space could be found in Rex's cabinets. At least she had plenty of books to read. It was hard to read in the dark cabinet, though, and Rex hadn't given her a flashlight. She managed to sneak one from the other drawers during the night. For hours and hours, she read, the flashlight bulb burning away. Every once in a while, the batteries threatened to die on her. There were more to be found in the drawers, luckily.

Rex, on the other hand, had more work than usual. EVOs were popping up left and right, causing a hearty helping of destruction. That part was easy. A routine smack-down Rex could handle, and took great joy in doing so. It was the paperwork he couldn't stand. When he wasn't punching EVO face meat, he was filling out reports on said punching and the collateral damage thereof. But Rex being Rex, he occasionally shirked his duties to play some video games. One day as he watched the glimmering screen and moved his fingers over the buttons of the Playstation controller, he spawned an idea.

Circe was in the middle of reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo' when Rex slowly slid the small door open. Circe jumped, bumping her head on the shelf above her, then quickly turned the flashlight off. The light from the room's lights flooded the tiny space. After a moment of blindness, Rex's face came into view. Circe snorted and closed the book.

"Hey Circ," Rex started. "How ya holdin' up?" Circe waved her book around.

"Better than the people in this book. This dude just loves messing with people."

"Uh…"

"Oh right, you don't read. Weird that you have any books, then."

"Yeah, Doc Holiday kinda insisted that I have them." Rex scratched the back of his neck. "So, listen-"

"Oh no," Circe droned. "Don't tell me we're out of trail mix."

"Hey, I'd bring you real food if I could. And it's not always trail mix."

"Right, because chili-flavored Doritos are so healthy. You barely let me go to the bathroom as is. Why would I want chili Doritos?"

"Variety?"

"Ugh." Circe shifted to face Rex a bit more. "So if it's not food, what do you want?"

"I, um, well I was thinking that maybe you'd want to do something? Aren't you bored?"

"Bored? Who could be bored reading about French revenge plots?"

"Yeah, alright. Guess I'll just have to play Mortal Combat by myself." Rex got up and began walking back to the TV. Circe mulled it over for a second.

"Mortal Combat, you say?" Rex grinned and looked over his shoulder.

"Armageddon," he added with a devious smirk. Circe smiled and wiggled out.

"Best of five and the loser has to prank call Cesar."

"Wanna make your own character?"

"You bet."

"Then _get over here_!" Circe chuckled at Rex's impression of Scorpion, but didn't see the follow-up. In true-to-game form, Rex built his Blastcaster and pulled Circe over. She shouted and laughed some more before they sat in the chairs and began the fight.


	2. Full-Mental Jacket

Cesar brought the white, bulky Providence-style rifle to his shoulder. He closed his right eye and focused down the shooting lane. The target seemed so far off from here…

Doctor Holiday watched from behind him. She looked him up and down, observing his stance. Certainly Cesar didn't have too lean a build, but he wasn't aggressive. She cocked her head, thinking over these details.

"Cesar," she said at last. Cesar looked over his shoulder to the woman only a few years his senior.

"Yeah? What is it?" Holiday looked him up and down again as she formulated her words.

"This isn't your first time holding a gun, is it?" Cesar bit his lip and cradled the gun.

"Um…of course it is. I'm a scientist, not a mercenary."

"So am I, but I know how to shoot."

"But you've been working here for how long and have gone on how many dangerous missions?"

"And you haven't." Cesar twitched. He wasn't expecting such a retort. But Holiday was right. There was no obvious reason for it. He chewed his lip some more.

"Well…it's not my first time holding a gun, no," he confessed. "But it is my first time holding a rifle."

"Are you sure? Your stance is so-"

"Professional," Six finished. The green-clad agent crossed his arms at the sight of the latino scientist as he slinked in silently. Cesar felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. Rifle in hand or not, he knew Six could, and would, kill him if he had the chance. It was one of the only things that made Cesar cringe. Cesar held down the urge to run, instead shivering. Six raised an eyebrow. "Is something…bothering you?"

"N-no. Why would you say that?" Six opened his mouth to speak again, but Holiday cut him off, giving him the same scolding tone she used when Six upset Rex.

"Six, just leave Cesar to me. He came down here with me anyway. He's not hurting anything." Six wrinkled his nose at Holiday, but her green eyes glared on. Without even a snort, Six strolled out of the shooting gallery.

Cesar watched Six go, his face contorted into one of panic. Holiday shook her head and walked over to Cesar, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cesar gasped and stumbled back a step.

"Are you okay?" Holiday asked in a soothing tone. Cesar's breathing slowed, but still rather shocked, he could only reciprocate with a nod. Holiday sighed and put both hands on her hips. "I'm sorry. I know Six isn't the most…sociable person, but it gives him no right to be cruel to you." Cesar looked down at his boots.

"I don't know about that. I mean, I did first arrive with guns blazing, figuratively speaking."

"You were just… come to think of it, if you didn't know Rex was here until you saw him, why did you come in like that?" Cesar's eyes locked on Holiday.

"Um…it is…something I would rather not discuss if it's all the same to you." Now it was Holiday's turn to raise an eyebrow. Cesar just smiled at her and turned back to the target down the shooting lane. Holiday sighed in defeat.

"Fine, Cesar. If you'd prefer not to talk about that, may I ask about how you know how to hold a gun?" Cesar brought the rifle back up to his shoulder and reassumed all his previous alignments.

"You learn a lot when you live around the world," he said evenly. Silence filled the gallery as Holiday thought over Cesar's words. The air was filled with gunfire once his finger slammed down on the trigger. Holiday jumped from the suddenness of it all. 5 shots later, the gunfire stopped and Cesar stood normally. He grinned and walked over to the gun rack to put the rifle back. "Yep, you sure can learn a lot," he said as he unloaded the clip. He placed the gun back on its holder and meandered over to a set of long doors in the wall. Upon opening them, he found white backpacks and scooped one up. He threw it over his shoulder and turned to Holiday. "It was nice to see you, Dr. Holiday. So long, thanks for the company." Cesar left without another word. Holiday didn't see him scoop up the backpack or even leave. Her focus was set on the single smoking hole in the target, right between the silhouette's eyes.


End file.
